Day 27 – Büyükkonuk, Kantara, Karpas Peninsula

Our reason for visiting Büyükkonuk is its reputation as Cyprus’ first pilot eco-village, which has benefitted from US, UN and Turkish investment since 2006. Traditional buildings have been renovated, including the Old Olive Mill and a rainwater harvesting scheme at the local mosque is in the planning stages; an 8,000 litre capacity, PVC tank will be used to supply WCs and basins.

This project is being led by our hosts, Lois and Ismail, a Canadian-Cypriot couple, who seem to be very active in the local community, as well as running the wonderful B&B and adjacent craft shop.

 

Lois brings us a delicious breakfast and afterwards introduces us to Ismail, with whom we chat over Turkish coffee. After a while we are joined by two new arrivals, friendly Barcelonans now resident in Stockholm, one of whom is a photojournalist.

Ismail tells us that the mains water is supplied from local artesian wells, now more than double the 45 ft depth required to reach the source. One well has dried up entirely so mains water is only available every other day now. Still, Büyükkonuk extracts more than enough for its own use and is able to sell to other villages. Treatment is basic, crude chlorination by bottle resulting in variable levels of dilution, so most people buy drinking water, which is more carefully treated and delivered by truck.

Depending upon the number of guests the B&B takes up to three deliveries of potable water per week, each of 19 litres and costing 3 YTL (£ 1.30). In comparison the cost of mains supply is 1 YTL (£ 0.40) per m³ for the first 10 m³ per month, rising for higher levels of consumption. Since mains pressure is very low Lois and Ismail use a dry, clay-lined well to hold mains water, pumping it to storage tanks in the buildings.

Across Cyprus water shortages have become increasingly acute, culminating in freshwater imports in 2008, in Greek tankers to the Republic and in Scandinavian designed, floating plastic ‘balloons’ to Northern Cyprus. Desalination capacity has been increased (making use of cheap and dirty, low-grade fuel oil) and in 2011-2012 a freshwater pipeline and electricity supply will connect the island with Turkey. The channel between Cyprus and Turkey is relatively deep so the pipeline will be suspended rather than run along the seabed.

The project is politically contentious with Greek Cypriots reluctant to be dependent upon Turkey in the longer term, assuming reunification at some point. Turkey, which is not generally water-stressed, sees the opportunity to ultimately export water to Israel. The seabed between Cyprus and Israel is much shallower and flatter, making such a pipeline significantly less costly.

We also receive the best explanation yet for the ubiquitous request not to flush paper down the toilet (a bin is usually provided instead). Typically manholes are not constructed with benching and swept bends, and therefore they partly fill with sewage. Paper does not break down as easily as sewage so is more likely to clog up the manholes. The problem is compounded by increasing bleach use, which severely impedes sewage being broken down naturally. Consequently most people have their septic tank emptied annually. By avoiding bleach use, Lois and Ismail are yet to have their tank emptied in 13 years of residence.

Future projects include developing more comprehensive strategies for water and wetlands management. The former could include education, perhaps leading to a reversal in the trend for exotic, non-indigenous, water-hungry garden plants (and the lawn at the new ‘ecolodge’), and integrating intermittently used, existing reservoirs.

It is hoped that the many areas of wetland lost to development (in Büyükkonuk for quarrying and later an industrial estate) can be reclaimed so that, in tandem with a hunting ban in sensitive areas, migrating birds will return, offering potential for more sustainable tourism.

Another vision is an “off-grid” campsite accommodating up to 100 people, featuring only temporary buildings, complete with composting toilets, rainwater harvesting, solar water heating and kerosene fridges.

Ironically there are also plans to route a new tourist highway through the village. However the recently elected new government advocates low-impact tourism, merging the Ministries of Environment and Tourism, so the village may yet be spared.

Later in the morning we visit the amazing Kantara Castle, not as large or well preserved as Crac des Chevalliers, but with even more impressive 360°views. The western part of the castle is not visible at all upon entering but paths through the trees and undergrowth lead to the living quarters and the vaulted basement beneath, originally housing a prison and later two large cisterns, still full of water today. The medieval latrines on the south walls were once flushed by the castle’s sophisticated water system.

 

 

After an inadequate lunch in Kantara we wend our way down to the coast via Yarköy.

Head down past Galatia to Artemis, a new casino resort under construction. Planning consent was conditional upon the development incorporating its own desalination plant, which has been completed. Temporarily, until the resort is fully built out, desalinated water is sold to local residents.

A small tidal lagoon has been converted in to a lake by disconnecting it from the sea, ensuring that it is always full of water but completely transforming the ecology, replacing birdlife with algae.

We head further along the Karpas Peninsula and stop for a swim east of Yenierenköy. Sadly the beach is quite badly littered and there are almost no fish in the sea. Ismail later tells us that in his youth anemones, sea urchins, sea cucumbers and many species of fish were common but sadly, as in much of the Mediterranean Sea, they have gradually disappeared, presumably due to industrial pollution.

After another lame meal in Bogaz (though at least we are spared the cats),we return to the B&B and sit out the back of Lois and Ismail’s house, supping Efes and talking the evening away with our hosts and the Barcelonans.